A gas turbine engine is typical of the type of turbo-machinery in which the present application may be utilized. It is well known that a gas turbine engine conventionally comprises a compressor for compressing inlet air to an increased pressure for combustion in a combustion chamber. A mixture of fuel and the increased pressure air is burned in the combustion chamber to generate a high temperature gaseous flow stream for causing rotation of turbine blades within the turbine. The turbine blades convert the energy from the high temperature gaseous flow stream into kinetic energy that may be utilized for example to turn an electric generator, pump or other mechanically driven device. Further, the high temperature gaseous flow stream may be used as a heat source to produce steam or provide energy for chemical processing.
Many gas turbine engines are equipped with lean premix combustor technology that mixes the fuel and air together prior to delivery to the combustion chamber. Lean premix technology has been applied primarily to industrial gas turbine engines to control and reduce flame temperatures. The control and reduction of flame temperatures is one way in which lower levels of air pollutants such as NOx and CO are obtained. However, some prior art lean premix combustors are susceptible to destructive pressure pulsations that can adversely impact the system integrity. In many cases the pressure pulsations can originate from temporal fluctuations in the fuel and air mixture strength introduced in the burning zone of the combustor.
Thus a need remains for further contribution in the area of combustor technology. The present application satisfies this and other needs in a novel and nonobvious way.